Snakes and Slytherins
by ManhattanWitch
Summary: Harry has something. Draco wants to see it. Drarry, fluffy, some angst


Title- Snake and Slytherins

Summary- Harry had something. Draco wants to see it.

Warnings- This is Drarry- but only at the very end

Authors Note- This is set in what I guess would be an idealized school-experience. Um, Everybody is still alive except Voldemort.

Prompt from Netrixie- A get together Drarry, parseltongue kink, entrance hall, smutty to sweet, little angst

* * *

That the Entrance Hall was overcrowded was nothing new, and Draco held back a sneer of contempt as Crabbe and Goyle made a path for him. All these silly Hufflepuff's and Gryffindors standing around, chatting, as though they owned the space simply annoyed him. The blond felt a bit better when he noticed that the Slytherins and Ravenclaws present simply moved through the crowds, heading to wherever they were going and not _overcrowding the Hall!_

He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. _Now, now, Draco. _his inner voice said soothingly, _we mustn't kill these imbeciles. Think of the consequences. _Feeling a bit better, cool grey eyes slid open. But that calm flew right out of the window when he saw a patch of ginger heading his way.

Blaise appeared at his elbow, a worry line present between his eyes. "Don't do anything- Snape won't be able to talk you out of another detention." he warned the blond.

Draco simply smiled at him, and watched the handsome Italian smother the impulse to throw his hands up in disgust. He turned away from his housemate and watched with disguised interest as two of the Golden Trio came closer.

_The Weasel is braying_, the Slytherin thought petulantly. _Why does Pott- _he cut that thought off with a snarl. He would not think about that, not now! The sound that escaped his throat caught the ginger's attention, and the hulking brute stiffened like a hound that caught sight of a fox.

"What are you bloody staring at, Malfoy?" The Weasel asked, ignoring Grangers grip on his arm.

Draco let a slow smile stretch his lips. "Oh, nothing of consequence. Just wondering when the Headmaster allowed zoo animals into the school." The sound that came out of the brute's mouth was a mix between anger, frustration, and words the blond didn't even try to decipher. And, Draco noticed in fascination (like the kind you feel when you see a rather _hideous_ bug) what with the insult and the titters from the crowd, the Weasel's face was turned the most interesting shade of puce.

Unfortunately, the blond never did find out what no doubt _witty_ comeback the silly swine would have made. Instead, in a flurry of activity, Granger, Weasel, and a newly appeared Potter disappeared into the depths of the Castle.

Draco looked over his shoulder at Blaise and Pansy, both of whom shrugged. He frowned as he started back towards the dungeons, wondering if he'd really won that round, or if it had been a draw. Well, he'd just have to do better next time.

* * *

Draco had long since figured out the pros and cons of Transfiguration. Pro- he got to use his wand. Con- he never actually learned anything. The majority of the spells and incantations the McGonagall taught to the rest of the class, he'd had mastered by the time he'd left for school. His Father had believed in being very well prepared for anything, and classes were no different. The only class he was still having trouble in was Defense Against The Dark Arts, and that was mostly because he was used to, ahem, the _other _side of things.

But Transfiguration helped him refine his skills, so he didn't complain. Much. Well, he limited his complaining to the Common room, so he figured that was alright.

Absentmindedly, he stroked the cat curled up on his lap. McGonagall had given them the same assignment they always got- transfigure the whatever-it-was into a cat. Well, this time had a twist, admittedly, but the premise was the same. Today she'd had the turn their pots into what ever medium sized animal they liked, except for dangerous ones. Draco had simply turned his into a cat because he liked cats. (And he ignored the voice in the back of his head that said it was easiest to turn thing into them- cats had an affinity with magic, he'd learned.) The professor passed by him with barely a glance at the animal- he'd never once messed up this spell, and while she originally frowned over her glasses at him, she'd gotten over it.

There was something very therapeutic about this cat, Draco decided. He almost felt his tension melting away, and he relaxed back into his chair. Until a shriek split his eardrums.

Draco twisted around sharply, making the cat bolt out of his lap and back onto the table. He ignored it, though, in favor of what was happening at the Golden Boy's table. McGonagall had a hand pressed against her chest, while the other pointed her wand directly at a _very _irritated looking snake. Potter was saying something fast and with a vary earnest expression, and the bits Draco caught had something to do with "Completely safe" and "of course he wouldn't hurt anybody". The Slytherin snorted. Potter _would_ do something like this.

He scooted a bit closer to the scene, helped by the fact that nobody was paying attention to him in light of the current tableau. Finally, he was close enough to hear whole sentences.

"He's completely harmless, I swear, Professor. He promised he wouldn't hurt anybody, and animals don't know what lying is." Potter was looking at McGonagall with a pleading expression, but hers never changed.

"That snake, Mr. Potter, that you seem so convinced is harmless, is a _Moonlight Selene_. They happen to be _extinct, _and for very good reason. They are twice as venomous as a Runespoor!"

The class hushed at her words, and Draco saw Granger's eyes go wide with excitement. Apparently she didn't care that the irritable snake on the table was less than a yard away from her; she was hurriedly casting spell after spell to capture the image of the creature.

The Slytherin was mildly impressed, with both Gryffindors. One, for making the snake in the first place, and two, for not being scared out of her wits. _Granger,_ he thought suddenly, _would have made a very good Slytherin._

McGonagall was shaking her head firmly. "Turn it back, Mr. Potter, or you'll land yourself a detention." She gave him one last, stern look, then headed back up to her desk as he lifted his wand. Draco watched her sit down and attempt to look as though she hadn't just been scared out of her mind, then shot one last look at his rival. Potter was sitting with his head down, a plain pot on the table in front of him. The Slytherin snorted and reached for his cat. _It's a pity we can't keep them_, he thought with a sigh. _This cat is very, very comforting._

* * *

He liked November. The sky was clear, the wind was soft and brisk with just a hint of snow, and the last of the rainbow of leaves were clinging to the trees. The rest crunched beneath his feet as he wandered around the lake. His Common Room was too crowded and noisy, and right now, all Draco wanted was peace and silence. Well, relative silence- the wind through the trees, random animals in the Forest, and the squid happily flailing it's tentacles around and splashing the water was better than the tumult in his dorms.

Eventually he'd have to go back- Draco had promised Pansy he'd help her with her Charms homework, and Crabbe and Goyle's papers still needed to be gone over. But for now he could just let his mind wander to what ever he wanted to think about. Like that new broom his mother had been hinting about, he thought with a sudden, gleeful smile. Apparently, each twig was hand picked and placed with precision, and the handle was made of pure ebony- the wood was handcrafted, and then layered with spell after spell to help promote-

Draco stopped moving and whipped out his wand. Something was moving in the stand of trees just in front of him, and given how close to the Forest he'd wandered, he wasn't taking any chances. Slowly, he crept up to the nearest trees and peeked around the trunk, not sure what he was expecting. But what he saw took him completely by surprise.

Potter was sitting cross-legged on the ground, and nestled in front of him, covered by the faint glow of a warming spell, was the snake from Transfiguration. And he was _talking _to it_._ In _Parseltongue._ Draco backed up until he was hidden behind the tree and took a long, shallow breathe. The sound of those sibilant whispers had hammered a hot spike of lust right into him. And every sound the wind brought to his ears was making it even harder for him to think in proper lines, and all he wanted to do was…was… Draco straightened abruptly and slid silently away. _Do what? _he thought to himself. _Kiss him? And get a curse right in the stomach? No, thank you._

* * *

Days passed, and while Draco tried to forget the incident, he couldn't. The sound of Potter's voice, and the snake language rolling off of his tongue the way it did- well, he didn't think anyone could forget _that_.

The whole thing was making him act strangely. He couldn't hear Potter's voice without the memory coming back, and looking at the Gryffindor was out of the question. He'd never realized that the goofy looking scrawny child was a thing of the past. And now it was all he could think about.

When, for instance, did that raggedy mop of hair on his head actually start looking like it was made to be that way? Like someone had run their hands through it the night before? And his body. Honestly. Draco wished he'd never run into Potter and the snake. If he hadn't felt that white hot spike of lust, he never would have realized just how tall…and muscled…and tan…

Draco stood abruptly with a curse. His housemates looked up warily- it had been a long time since their leader had had a rant or tantrum, but everybody remembered them. Those had not been pleasant times. This time, however, the blond settled for glaring at everyone and smirking in satisfaction as they glanced away or flinched. At least he still had some measure of control in his life. In a flat voice, he ordered Pansy and Blaise to help the firsties with their work and swept out of the Common Room.

He was going for a walk.

_

* * *

_

Prowling the dungeons isn't helping,

Draco finally acknowledged. He ran his hands through his hair and headed up the stairs to the first floor. The walk took a bit of time, and he'd settled into the comfortable prowling stalk that he used when making his rounds as Head Boy. By the time he reached the Entrance Hall, his mood had improved significantly. He walked out of the Doors- and right into Potter.

They collided with a grunt from Potter and a hissed curse from Draco, and both of them went sprawling on the floor. "You imbecile!" Draco ground out, trying to not remember the way that body had felt against his own. "Can't you watch where you're going?"

Potter gaped at him in shock. "What are you on about, Malfoy? _You_ ran into _me_!"

Draco got up and dusted himself off as he replied. "Impossible. Malfoy's don't run into others- they run into us. Obviously, this is your fault."

"That's idiotic." The Gryffindor snapped, angry. He stepped closer and Draco hid a grin.

"Ah, ah, Potter. Don't get your knickers in a twist. See, I know something about you that I doubt you want anyone to find out about, so be very careful about how you talk to me." He'd watched Potter's face go from angry and confrontational to worried and confused, and Draco allowed himself a real smile before wiping it off of his face.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?"

The Slytherin leaned in and whispered, "I know about your snake, Potter." Watching Potter's face go white was very satisfying Draco decided.

But to his credit, the Gryffindor only said, "What do you want?" in a dull, toneless voice. The blond couldn't have that- at some point, he'd decided that, since he was a Malfoy and therefore embodied physical perfection, he'd try to win Potter over. _And maybe get that kiss… _his mind whispered eagerly.

"Why," Draco put on his most innocent expression- one cherubs might envy- and said, "I want to meet him.

* * *

Potter led him towards the same meadow that Draco had seem them in last time. He hadn't said a word since the blond had made his request. Which the Slytherin was fine with-its not like Potter had any reason like treat him as a friend, or anything. Yet.

The trees themselves were now imbued with a Warming spell, Draco noticed with interest. It must act like a blanket, since the ground was covered with grass instead of frost, like the rest of the Castle grounds. Potter was walking into the middle of the little space, and the blond watched avidly. Those beautiful sounds slid out of the brunets throat and Draco swallowed a moan. And tried- and failed- to squash the heat sitting low in his stomach.

The _Selene _slid out from under a root system, heading straight for Potter. The Gryffindor knelt and picked it up, and Draco watched in fascination as it coiled its way up Potters arm and slid around his shoulders. The Gryffindor looked up from his conversation and gestured for Draco to come over.

"This is Sasha. He promised he wouldn't bite." Potters voice was still flat, but under it all was confusion. Draco smiled gently at the snake and ignored the Gryffindor.

"Well, aren't you beautiful." Draco murmured gently at the snake- Sasha. "I'm Draco. May I hold you?" The Slytherin waited anxiously. He knew, from books, that magically conjured snakes were more intelligent than average snakes, and that if someone spoke to them in Parseltongue, their intelligence grew. Also, it was fairly common knowledge that magical creature understood Human- they just didn't always care to act like they did.

Sasha stared at him for a long moment, head cocked slightly to one side, as Potter looked on puzzled. Then, to Draco delight and Potter's surprise, the slid forward and onto the Slytherin's waiting hand.

The weight of the snake was much more than Draco was expecting, but he adjusted quickly and then, finally, he was holding Sasha fully. He could see why the name of the creature had moonlight in it. His scales were made up of a mix of every grey and black and white, creating shapes and patterns that might or might not be there. "Beautiful." he breathed yet again. As he stroked his fingers along the snakes spine, Sasha turned his head around to Potter and hissed something at him.

The Gryffindor snapped out of whatever trance he'd been in and looked at Draco. "He wanted to know why you don't taste of fear, Malfoy."

Draco continued running his fingers along Sasha. "When one is Sorted into Slytherin, one understands certain things about the House. Among them is the fact that it is silly and unreasonable to be afraid of your Mascot." _Besides, _Draco added in his head, _the opportunity to be a part of something like this is greater than any fears I might have_.

Potter shrugged and hissed something to Sasha, and Draco tensed. He'd forgotten that Potter would do that, which was silly, seeing as how all he wanted was to hear the Gryffindor speak to him in Parseltongue.

He held the snake for a few more minutes, then with a sigh handed him back to Potter. "It was wonderful to meet you, Sasha." he said with a grin. The snake flickered his tongue at him, then nodded, very deliberately. Draco looked up into Potter's eyes, still smiling, and then turned and walked away, the sound of Parseltongue suddenly behind him.

* * *

The next couple days passed by in a blur of Draco- he was still in a bit of a high over what had happened. Nothing happened to break the monotony of class and meal times- no fights, no confrontations, nothing. Somewhere in the back of his head, he realized his House was keeping anyone he'd ever disagreed with away from him so that nothing wrecked his mood. And during dinner one night, he gave them all a great big smile as thanks (He'd made sure no one was looking, of course- he wasn't stupid).

But something like that wasn't meant to last, and so when, a week after he'd met Sasha, hands reached out of an empty classroom and pulled him inside he wasn't too surprised to see it was Potter.

"What is your problem?" he hissed, irritated. Now he was going to be late, or worse miss lunch altogether.

Potter paced in front of him, and waved a hand at Draco in annoyance. Then he stopped and turned to face Draco. "That was it? You just wanted to meet Sasha? Nothing else?"

The Slytherin frowned at Potter. "Yes." He narrowed his eyes. "What else did you think I've done?"

Potter frowned back. "I don't know- I was expecting blackmail, or something-"

Draco snarled, and Potter cut himself off. "Well, thanks for that glowing praise, Potter. Really, I didn't know you thought so highly of me." Potters shamed blush didn't help.

"It's not like you don't despise me enough to do something like that. Alright, look- I'm sorry, alright? I'm not used to not fighting with you." Potter trailed off glumly.

Draco nodded. "Well, that is true. We fight like cats and dogs, and insults are expected. But, honestly, Potter-" he rolled his eyes and ignored the Gryffindors surprised glance, "I merely hate you. It's the Weasel I despise." He paused thoughtfully. "I might blackmail him…"

Potter cut off his thoughts. "So, you really just wanted to meet Sasha?" He crossed his arms and tried to look intimidating. Draco just sighed at his attempt and nodded.

"And you're not going to blackmail me?"

"Must you keep asking the same thing over and over again? I already said I wouldn't." Draco snarled, annoyed that Potter could so easily get him riled up.

Unexpectedly, the Gryffindor smiled, and Draco frowned at him in concern. Was he mental? It wouldn't be too unexpected.

"In that case, Sasha wants to see you again."

* * *

Sasha seemed to like Draco. At least, that was what Potter said, and if he was going to lie about it, he'd have said the opposite. So, every few nights, Sasha would insist Potter go get Draco, and then the three of them would sit out in Sasha's grove for an hour or so.

One night, Draco had a revelation- they had a _routine. _And that routine didn't include fights in the hallways, or insult matches in classrooms, but talking and laughing together about Sasha's insights on people, and the dumb things that had happened that day, or class work, or what ever they felt like. And Draco got to listen to Potter speak parseltongue to his hearts content, and had excellent material for fantasies. All in all, Draco surmised, he'd had a very good few months. And now that spring was coming, Sasha could escape from his winter hideaway and get into the Forest.

Which meant that Draco didn't get to see him as much. But he didn't really mind- he'd sensed, and Potter had told him, that the snake was getting something the Gryffindor had called 'cabin fever', and what Draco simply called restless. After having said goodnight to the snake, Draco headed back to the Castle. He took his time- it was a gorgeous night- the sky's were clear, and the stars shined down and lit up the grounds fantastically.

The sound of running feet caught his attention, though, and Draco dropped his eyes from the sky and turned around. And saw Potter running at catch up with him. "Hey" the Gryffindor greeted.

Draco raised an eyebrow but gave him a small smile in return. "Hey, yourself."

Potter flushed, and Draco raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, Potter was talking again. "So, I would have left with you but Sasha wanted to tell me something." For some reason, he flushed again, but kept going. "Anyway- so, Hogsmeade weekend coming up."

Draco nodded slowly. "Yes, it is."

"Are you going? I'm not- I've got work to do. I'll be stuck in the library all weekend." Potter pouted a little, and Draco smiled at him. How me managed to look like a kicked puppy with that body was beyond Draco.

"What are you working on?" The Slytherin asked.

"Ah, I've got that Potions essay. Five feet on the uses of Fenterwelly Fins- I'm never going to get enough."

Draco was torn between amusement and horror- it was a hard essay, and it was due Monday. Potter was never going to have enough time to do it, or do it well. The Slytherin sighed. "If you like, I could go over it with you. You might even get a passing grade."

Potter gave him a look of such naked relief that Draco almost felt bad for the jibe. Almost.

* * *

Listening to Potter rant never got old, Draco thought, amused. He could always be counted on to find something to rant about. This time, it was exams.

"And then Flitwick didn't even look at it! After all the effort I put into that paper, and nothing!" Currently, the two of them were out by the Whomping Willow- not too close, thanks all the same- Draco liked his body parts unbruised. Other students were wondering around- most of them ignored the unlikely duo, mainly due to the various hexes and jinx' that both Potter and Draco knew. The school had gotten used to them by now.

Draco buried a growl that threatened to escape. He listened to Potters rant with one ears, agreeing and what not when he needed to. But what he was really thinking about was that it had been months- months!- since the first time he'd heard Potter speak parseltongue, and _nothing had happened_. Oh, this friendship thing was incredible- not for one minute had he ever believed it would be possible- but he wanted more. Specifically, he wanted Potter to- he cut off that train of thought before something…_unfortunate_ happened.

Either way, he needed to do something, and quickly. The term was almost over, and since this was their final year, he doubted he'd have the chance again.

Potter's hand waving in front of his face made him jump, and he looked at the Gryffindor sourly. "What?" he snapped

The brunet scowled at him. "You were ignoring my rant. I wanted to see if you were still with us."

Draco's sour expression turn confused. "Well, where would I have gone? I wasn't getting up and walking around, was I?"

Potter shook his head and muttered something about muggle expressions. "Never mind- free periods over and we have Charms next."

"Lovely." Draco groaned out, picking himself up off of the ground. "Another period of watching out for Longbottom's stray spells."

"Hey!" Potter said. "Watch it- he's my friend."

Draco gave him a doleful look. "You have very poor taste, Potter. I feel ashamed to be near you."

Potter bristled, and the Slytherin grinned. Friends they might be, but insult matches? Those never went out of style.

* * *

Draco had it planned to a tee. It was their last week at Hogwarts, and they were going to visit Sasha and see what he wanted to do for the summer, since neither Draco or Harry was coming back.

The snake eventually decided to stay in the Forbidden Forest, though he made Draco and Potter promise to come visit him every now and then. Draco agreed readily- he was quite fond of Sasha, and hoped that he would be alright in the Forest.

They were both trudging on the trek back to the Castle after saying goodbye to the snake. Draco was going to miss him immensely. But for right now, he had other things on his mind.

It was close to midnight when they reached the Entrance Hall, the place where they usually said goodnight and turned to go to their separate dorms. Tonight, however, Draco stopped Potter with a gentle hand on his elbow.

Potter turned to face him with a furrowed brow. "What's the matter, Malfoy?" he asked, worried. In all the months they'd done this, it had never varied.

"Nothing. I just…" Draco reached out a placed a hand on Potters face. He leaned in a bit, carefully watching Potter's eyes. They widened after a moment, once the Gryffindor realized what Draco wanted to do. Then, hesitantly, Potter reached out and cupped Draco face with his own hand.

They each leaned in, til they were so close Draco could feel Potter's breath on his lips. They waited there a heartbeat, until Potter leaned in and brushed his lips against Draco's once, twice, before pulling a bit away. Draco bit his lip, and he _tasted _the Gryffindor- he breathed out "_Harry_" and reach up and pulled him back in for another kiss. This one was hard and fast and no where near as gentle as the first, and it was _wonderful_ and Draco never wanted it to stop.

But had to, because they needed air, and Potter- Harry, now, Draco amended, Harry looked at him with shining eyes. "Well, that was unexpected. But a really, really good unexpected."

Draco laughed and pulled him in tight. "Do me a favor?" he asked in a husky voice he barely recognized.

"Sure," Harry said. "Anything."

Draco's eyes gleamed. "Say something to me in Parseltongue."

It's a miracle Harry's laughter didn't wake anyone up.


End file.
